On Thursday morning, Budget Chairman Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., said he would put his support behind McCarthy for the job, a Ryan spokesman confirmed to CQ Roll Call. His seal of approval will go a long way, as Ryan is one of the most influential members of the House Republican Conference who has himself been vaunted as a plausible candidate to fill Cantor's shoes — including by the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal.

McCarthy has already been publicly backed by Cantor, as the current No. 2 Republican answered questions from reporters following his press conference Thursday afternoon.